Air cooling and circulating device and process



Oct. 25; 14938. w MORRSON 2,134,003

A AIR COOLING AND CIRCULATING DEVICE AND PROCESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w. L. MORRISON Filed April 18, v1935 AIR COOLING AND CIRCULATING DEVICE AND PROCESS Oct. 25,

www

Patterned Oer. 25,1938 2,134,003

` UNITED vs-TATi-:s PATENT oF-FICE Ant cooLlNG ANncmoULs'rrNG nEvrcE- ANnrnocEss Willard L. 'Morrisom Lake Forest, Ill. Appueatien April 1s, 1935, serial No. 17,143

13 claims. (Cl. isz- 129) #This invention relates to air cooling and cir- Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 culating device and 'process and has .for its of Fig. 2; object to provide a new and improved device and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view with parts process of this description. broken away taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3,' illus- The invention has as a further object toprotrating one form of cooling element; 5 vide means for regulating thetemperature in a Fig'. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a 5 v compartment. modified construction;

The invention has as a further object to pro'- Fig. 6 isan enlarged fragmentary view showing vide means for regulating the temperature in a one means for adjusting the upper portion of the compartment cooled by a cooling device, without receptacle; other apparatus other than the compartment Fig. 7 is a `view showing the cooling element 10 and the cooling device. in a lowered position with relation to the top of The invention has as a further object to prothe compartment; f vide acompartment open at the top and cooled Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the by a cooling device, and varying the temperature cooling element raised while the wall of the coml5 in the compartment by moving relatively the. partment remains in its up POSitiOn;

cooling device and the top portion of the com- Fig. 9 is an. enlarged detailed VieW Showing partment adjacent thereto. one mechanism of raising and lowering the cool- The invention has as a further object to proing element; vide a compartment open at the top with a cool- Fig- 10 iS a Plan VieW ShOWing a modified form ing device at Athe upperr part thereof and having of construction; 4 2 its inlet located within the boundary of the com- Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the device shown partment for cooling air and causing the cooled in Fig- 10; i air to displace warmer air in said compart- Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the device shown ment, and providing means for moving the coolin Figs. 10 and 11 With the' Upper edge 0f the ing device and the top of the compartment ad- Wall moved downwardly; 25 jacent theretorelatively to regulate the tem- Fig` 13 is a view of one of the panels forming perature in said compartment. the wall of the compartment; The invention has as a further object to pro- Fig- 14:v iS a View With parts brOken 'away vide the cooled compartment of thev kind de- ShOWiIlg the Well near the coolingqdevice illfv scribed with means for varying the cubical con- Dartially lowered Position; ,y f

tents of said compartment to vary the tempera- Fig- 15 is an enlargedsectional view taken cn'j.

The invention has as a further object to pro- Fig- 16 is en enlarged sectional view teken-Onl vide a compartment open at the top with a coolline IG-'IS of -Fig'. 11; i ing device at the upper part thereof for cooling Fig- 17 iS an enlarged vSectional viewjtakeilbll the air and causing it to displace Warmer air line Il-I'l oi.' Fig.'11."`

in said .compartment and providing means for Like numerals referto like parte i? lilfeugliUUU-f raising and lowering a portion or all of the upper the Several gures.- edge of said compartment to regulate the tem- Referring new .t0 vthe*drawings.' ?Wlleieilijikf 40 perature therein and to permit the occupant or have Shown 011e follmif 'Construction' emhddymg 146" occupants to look over the edge thereof and the invention. there is a cpmpa'rtment l Opengat" communicate with parties outside of said comthe toil This Compartment. mayfbef'used aSfa partment f room or for a bed or for-'any other v,suitablecon-- 'I'he invention has as a further object to pro-` struction or .for any other, `'suitable-5134119653where# vide a newfand useful process for regulating the one or mor-e people niay-Ibe received .Timm-ay b? 45 temperature inthe compartment. madout o? any sunfable"maliria'lsmefemmx The invention has other objects which are heat nsulamg Itenall 51?@ -.luatd 'n' more particularly pointed out in the accomganrirugte it 8391; se lad any ggg panymg descnpnon' e suitable material. 5o

Refgrnng now to the drawings Flg 1 is a Side In the construction shown the walls of the com- View and elevatfon Showing One form 0f device partment preferably consist of two members 2 embodying the Invention; and 3 separated by an air space 4. When the Fig. 2 is a view showing the upper part of Fig. walls are made of flexible material there is prou 1 with the parts in a dierent position; vided at the upper portion of the ehd walls the u to project varying distances rigid members 5 and 5a which extend crosswise thereof. These rigid members may be fastened in position in any desired manner, and a simple manner, if the walls are made of flexible material, is to insert them in the loop of the material, as shown for example in Fig. 4. There may be vsimilar rigid members 5c located at the sides of the compartment.

Some suitable means is provided for supporting the walls of the compartment when it is made of flexible material, and also for supporting the cooling device. As showing one means for doing this, there are at the opposite ends the supports 6 and 1. Associated with these supports and preferably on the interior thereof, are the flexible members 8 and 9 which pass over suitable directionchanging devices I0 and II and which are connected to the upper part of the receptacle in any suitable manner, as by being connected to the rigid members 5 and 5a. The other ends of the flexible members are, connected with a resisting device, such as a weight or spring. I have illustrated them as being connected to the springs I2 and I3. These springs are fastened at their lower ends I4' and I5 to a xed part.

The cooling element I6 may be supported in any desired manner, as by being connected to a support I6a. This cooling element is herein shown as provided with means for circulating a cooling material or refrigerant therethrough so as to cool the air coming in contact therewith. Any of the usual refrigerating apparatus may be used, and this apparatus may be located in the casing I8. The supports Ilia are preferably connected with the refrigerating apparatus and are hollow so'that the refrigerant passing to the cooling ele- -ment I6 may pass up throughthe hollow support ISa.

The cooling element is preferably provided with some means for catching the condensed moisture. As herein shown, the cooling element is provided with a liquid receiving receptacle I9 for receiving the moisture condensed by the cooling element.v 'I'his receptacle preferably encloses the coil, but is open at the top 2D for the admission of the air, and has adischarge opening 2I'through which the cooled air passes into the compartment. 'I'here is preferably a moisture receiving member 22 upon which the Water is received from the cooling element, the water passing therealong and then into the bottom of the compartment, see Fig. 4. The member 22 prevents noise due to the dropping of water into a body of water, and also directs the cooled air out through the opening 2I and prevents it from coming into contact with the water in the compartment, and also tends to keep the water from freezing.,

Some means isprovided` for adjusting the cooling element and the top of the compartment relatively so that the cooling element may be made into the compartment to regulate the temperature of such coml partment. When the compartment, for example,

`is made of rigid material it may be preferable to moreor less'intov the compartment. Any suitable move the cooling element so that it may project meansff'or thispurpose may be used, and I have illustrated one'meansvwhich consists in raising or lowering ,thesupport' so asto raise or lower the cooling element. One construction, which I have shown for purposes of illustration, consists in providing a rack 23 attached to the casing I8 andv whichengages a gear 24 Aon a shaft 25, which shaft has the worm gear 26 which engages a worm 21 on theshaft 28, operated in any suitable manner, as by means of 'the handle 29,. These gears and the housing are supported lupon'su'pports 30 on opposite sides of the casing I8, there being guiding members 3I on the casing which slide along the supports 30. When it is desired to raise the cooling element the handle 29 is turned so as to move the casing and the support 6 upwardly, as shown for example in Fig. 8. The Worm and Worm wheel act as a lock to hold the parts in any position when. the handle is released. When it is desired to lower the cooling element the handle is moved'in the opposite direction, which causes the casing I8 and the support 6 to be lowered, as for example to the position shown in Fig. 7.

It will be seen that by means of this construction the cooling element may be moved with relation to the top of the compartment so asyto provide any desirable relationv between them. Instead of moving the cooling element I may move the top of the compartment so as to secure the relative adjustment between the cooling element and the compartment. Any suitable means for accomplishing this result may be used. In the particular construction shown the compartment is of flexible material and is supported by the Yflexible supports 8 passing over the direction changing devices IIi and II. When it is desired to hold the top of the compartment in' any desiredV position, there is removably attached to the flexible member 8 a holding member 32, which in this instance consists of a removable split ring extending through one of the links of the flexible supports. This holding member engages a stop or part 33 fixed with relation to the direction changing devices I0 and II. It may be the hood for such direction'changing devices or any other suitable part. l

when the holding member' is attached to the flexible member 8 and is thenv released, the resisting deviceA I2 pullsionfthe exible member and moves the holdinggm'ember up`- into engagement with .thestopSBj which prevents, further movement Vand holds 'tliejt'op oi the compartment in position. When it is desired toadjust the top of the compartment, the top of thecompartment is moved downwardly, for example from the position shown in Fig. A7, and the holding deviceonnected withthejilexible member 8 at the desired distance above the top of the compartment.V This willthen hold thetop of the compartment in any of its adjusted p'os'itions,'one of which adjusted positions is illustrated in Fig. 1.

I have shown for purposes of means whereby any personin the compartment or in the bed can, by simply pulling a cord, lower the top of the compartment and thenfasten the cord to hold it in its lowered positicn.` The cord may be let'outvto adjust the top of the compartment in vany of its intermediate positions. This cord 32a may for example, be attachedv to the holding device 32 or any other suitable limiting device, and may then pass down over a direction changing device 32b and then to any point properly accessible to a party in the compartment. If the compartment has a bed in it for example, it may run to the head of the bed, and when the top is properly adjusted the occupant may conthe Yholding memberv 32 simply Y illustration, and I may provide atively by moving either the cooling element or the top of the compartment.

In Fig. 5 there is illustrated a modied construction of the cooling element. In this construction there are a plurality of cooling elements 34 and 35. The cooling element 34 .has acasing 36 with an air admission opening 31 into which the air passes, and a discharge opening 38 out of V which the cooled air passes to the compartment. 'I'he cooling element l35 has an air admission opening 39 .lower down than thel air admission be transparent if it is desired opening 31 through which air passes to the cooling element, the air being discharged through the discharge opening 40 into the compartment. There is preferably a water receptacle 4| and the inclined water engaging members 42 and 43 which direct the water into the bottom of the water receptacle. With th'e construction shown in Fig. 5 a portion of the air being cooled may be taken from outside of the compartment and another portion taken from inside the compartment, both portions being discharged into the compartment. It will be seen that by' changing the relative position of the cooling elements and the upper part of the compartment the proportion of air taken from outside of the compartment and from inside the compartment may be varied. When thek device, for example, is in the position shown in Fig. 5 all the air contacting with the cooling element 34 comes from outside' the compartment, whereas a portion of the air contacting with cooling element 35. comes from outside the compartment and another portion from inside the compartment. By changing the relative position of the upper part of the compartment and the cooling elements it will be seen that more or less air may be taken from outside the compartment and from inside the compartment for contacting with cooling element 34, thereby regulating thevtemg perature in the compartment.

Some means is provided for taking the water out ofthe receptacles I9 and 4l, and this may be accomplished by providing them with an outlet 44 having a controlling valve 45. This device would be placed in all of the water receptacles.

In Figures 10 and 17 I have shown a modied construction wherein the wall of the compartment, instead of lbeing made of exible material, is made in sections, the upper portions of the sections being slidable up and down and beingM Apreferably made of transparent material such as glass. In this construction there is illustrated a cooling element 46 which may be of any suitable construction and which is supported by a suitable support 41. The refrigerating apparatus for the refrigerant usedV in the cooling device may be located in the casing 41a. This cooling element may be movable up and down, as shown for example in Fig. 1, or in any other manner and it is arranged sothat it will cool air and drop it by gravity into the compartment. In this case the compartment is made up of a series of sections 48, which are preferably removably connected together .so that the compartment may be easily and quickly assembled. or removed. These sections, as herein shown, are providedl with side framemembers 49 and 50 and a bottom member 5|. At the bottom there are the two separated wall members 52 and 53, preferably of heat insulating material, with .a space 54 between them. The upper part of the sections consists preferably of a transparent member 55, as for example of glass, although of course 'it may not to have it of any other material.

Some .means is provided for moving the upper section 55 up andndown so as to lower or raise the upper edge of the compartment. In the particular construction shown this member 55 is raised and lowered by means of a handle 56 on the inside of the compartment. This handle is connected by suitable gears 51 with the toothed portion 58 which is connected to a shaft 59. Connected with this shaft is an arm 60 which has a pin 6l which works in a slot 62 in the member 63 preferably attached to the bottom of the member 55. It will be seen that by rotating the handle 56 the arm 60 will be moved up and down so as to move the member 55 up and down, the side frame pieces 49 and 56 acting as guides therefor. 'I'his upper member 55 may be moved down into the space 54 between thev side members 52 and 53. 'I'he sections 48 are fastened together in any desired manner. As shown for example in Fig. 16, their edges are brought 'into proximity and are preferably provided with a packing member 64 between them, and are then fastened together by fastening devices S5, which may be bolts as indicated in Figs. 16 and 17.

At the corners I may provide an angle member 66 which is fastened to the two corner sections by suitable fastening devices 51, and there may be a piece 63 fitting intoV the angle member and .fastened thereto by the fastening devices 59, see Fig. 16. The several sections may be fastened together so as to form' the compartment, as illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and 12, and this compartment may be of-anyl size desired and any use desired.

I have illustrated one use of such compartment wherein there is adesk 10 and chairs 1I, as for example when it would be used in an oiiice. It

is of \course understood that it can beused for any purpose desired. One or more of the sections may be hinged so as to form a door 12 to permit people to readily pass into and out of the com-- partment. These sections` when fastened together may simply rest upon the floor or other support.

If desired, there may be provided a suitable fastening means for holding them in place, and there is shown a simple fastening means in Fig. 15, which consists of the member 13 which is attachedto the section and which may be-attached Y It will be seen that by varying the height of the top of the compartment, and when necessary the height of the cooling element, I can vary the cubical contents of the compartment to regulate the temperature, the temperature being lower asJ 00 the cubical contents of the compartment decreases, and being higher as the,cubical contents increases. lIt will further be noted that the upper edge of the compartment shown in Figures 1 to 8 can be moveddown 'and can be held in this down position by the holding devices 32 and 32e so.

that when a bed is in the compartment. the bed can be easily made up. y

I have described in detail particular constructions embodying the invention, but it is of course I evident the constructions may be varied in many particulars, `and some parts omitted and others added, 'without departing from the spirit of the inventi'on as embodied in the claims hereto apltorn portion of the compartment.

pended, and- I therefore do not limit myself to the particular construction shown.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

When the device is in use, whether it is used in connection with a bed or an apartment or a room in which people are received, the refrigerant is passed through the cooling element and air is cooled and drops by gravity down into the bot- When it is desired to regulate the temperature in the compartment, the top of the compartment and the cooling element are moved relatively, either by moving the cooling element or the top of the compartment.

If the cooling element, shown for example in Fig. 7, is moved down into the compartment, it will be seen that air fromf'the compartment passes into contact with the cooling element and is then discharged back into the compartment. It .will be seen that by this means the cooler air in the compartment is recooled, and thus air in the ccmpartment may be brought to a lower temperature. If it is desired to raise the temperaturesof the air in the compartment, thetop of the compartment and the cooling element may be adjusted relatively, as shown in either Figs. 1 or 8, in which position the admission opening for the air passing to the cooling `element is above` the top of the compartment, thus taking all the air from outside the compartment and cooling it and dropping it into the compartment.

When the device is in operation, the outside air will be warmer than the air inside the compartment, and it will be seen lthat by taking thisv warmer outside air and cooling it, the temperature in the compartment will be raised, that is, it will not be as low as when the airis taken from the compartment and recooled, as shown in Fig. '7.

If it is desired to have a temperature higher than that shown by the adjustment of the parts in Fig. '7, and lower than that shown by the adjustment of the parts in Fig, 8, the top of the compartment and the cooling element may be adjusted so that a part of the air being cooled by the cooling element comes from outside the compartment and a part of the air comes from inside the compartment, thus producing a temperature in the compartment which will be somewhere intermediate they temperature when the parts are in the position shown in Figs, 'l or 8. It will be seen that by this means the temperature in the compartment may be varied and adjusted by adjusting the relative position of the cooling element and the top of the compartment, for when this adjustment is such that all of the air passing through the cooling element is taken from the compartment, which air is cooler than the air on the outside, the result will be a lowering of the temperature in the compartment, and when all of the air being cooled is the warmer air taken from outside the compartment, the temperature in the compartment will be higher, and that any intermediate temperature' may be secured by a proper adjustment of the parts.

In Figure 5 there is illustrated a construction where a greater range of temperature may be secured, as in addition to providing means for taking all of the air outside of the compartment,

it gives" a longer range Where air may be taken both from outside the compartment and from inside the compartment. When this construction is moved completely down into the compartment, all the air will be taken from inside the compartment. It will further be seen that when the cooling element is up above the top of the compartment a suiiicient height, all the air that is cooled is taken from outside the compartment and dropped into the compartment and displaceswarmer air, the warmer air spilling out over the top. It will further be seen that by moving the parts relatively so that the cooling element is lowered with relation to the top of the compartment, and some of the air cooled is taken from inside the compartment, there will be less spillage of air over the top of the-compartment, and this spillage over the top of the compartment will decrease as the cooling element is moved down into the compartment.

It will be seen that when the device is used for other purposes than for a bed, the top of the compartment may be arranged or may be moved down and 'held in this position by the holding devices 32, sothat any person within the compartment can lookout over the top and converse with people on the outside and still be in a cooled atmosphere. Such person may thus look out when sitting down or the device may be arranged so that he can look out only when standing up.

In the construction shown in Figs. 10 to 17 the compartment is made of material which is not flexible, and it is made in sections which are removably connected together, and these sections may be independently moved up and down by means of the handles 56. It will be seen that this gives a very easy and simple and efficient means of moving the upper edge of the compartment for the purpose of varying the temperature therein. Furthermore, with this device the upper elements of the sections may be moved clear down so as to make it unnecessary to dismantle the device when it is used in the winter time, for when these members are moved down, people in the compartment can converse and do business with people on the outside just the same as if the compartment were not there. It will further be seen that with devices of this kind the windows in the room may be opened in the summer time and the cooling effect still be secured as eiliciently as if they were closed.

By means of the arrangement herein shown the temperature of the air in the compartment may be easily and quickly regulated and varied without in any manner controlling or regulating the cooling element or the refrigerating apparatus'and without the use of any regulating instruments.

It will be seen that there is here provided a compartment having a spillage edge for the air, with a cooling element in proximity to this spillage edge which cools the air and causes it to drop by gravity into the lower part of the compartment and displace warmer air and cause this warmer air to rise and spill out over the spillage edge, with means for changing the relative position of the cooling element and spillage edge to regulate the temperature in the compartment.

I claim:

l. An air cooling and circulating device comprising a compartment open at the top, a cooling element at the top of said compartment which cools air and causes it to drop into the lower part of the compartment by gravity, and means for changing the relative position of the top of said compartment and said cooling element to regulate the temperature in said compartment.

2. An air cooling and circulating device comprising a compartment open at the top, a cooling element at the top of said compartment having an air inlet for air to be cooled, and an outlet for the cooledair, whlclr outlet is located within the,boun daries of the compartment, and means for changing the relative position of the top of the compartment and the air inlet for the cooling element so that air to be cooled may be taken from outside of the compartment or from inside v the compartment so as to regulate the temperature,inlthe compartment.

3. An air coolingand circulating device comprising a compartment open at the top and closed at the bottom, means located at the upper part oi' the compartment for cooling air and dropping it Aby gravity into the compartment to displace warmer'air, and means for regulating the temperature in the compartment, which consists in moving the cooling element and the top of the compartment relatively in a vertical direction.

4. An air cooling and circulating device comprising a compartment open at the top, a cooling prising a compartment open at the top to pro vide a spillage edge for the air, a cooling element in proximity to said spillage edge which cools air and causes it to drop into the lower part of the j compartment by gravity and displacewarmer air and cause said warmer ai-r to rise and spill out over the spillage edge, and means for changing the relative position' of said cooling element and spillage edge to regulate the temperature in said compartment.

.6. An air -cooling and circulating device comprising ay compartment provided at the top with a spillage edge for the air, a cooling element in proximity to said spillage edge which cools the air and causes it to drop into the lower part of the compartment by gravity and displace warmer air and cause said warmer air to rise and spill out over the spillage edge, and means for changing lthe relative position of said cooling element and the portion of the spillage edge in proximity thereto vto regulate the temperature in said coxnpartment.

'7. The process of regulating the temperature in a compartment, which consists in cooling air and dropping it by gravityg into said compartment, and varying the cubical contents of said compartment to regulate the temperature in the compartment. y

.8. An air cooling andvv circulating device comprising acompartment open at the top, a cooling element at the top of said compartment for cooling air and causing it to drop by gravity into said compartment to cool it, and means formoving the upper edge of said compartment to various positions to vary the height of said compartment to regulate the temperature therein, and neans for holding said upper edge in any of its various positions.

9. An air cooling and circulating device comprising a compartment open at the top, a cooling element at the top of said compartment for cooling air and causing it to drop by gravity into said compartment, said cool air displacing warmer air and causing it to pass o ut of the open top of the compartment, said compartment having Walls made up of a series of separated sections fastened together, the upper portions of said sections being adjustable up and down to vary the height of said compartment, and meahs/ for holding the upper parts of said sections in 20 any of their adjusted positions.

10. An air cooling and circulating device comprising a compartment open at the top, a cooling element at the upper part of said compartment which cools'air and causes it to drop into the lower part of the compartment by gravity and displace warmer air and cause said warmer air to rise and pass out of the open top of said compartment, said compartment having a wall made up of a series of sections independently movable up and down so as to vary the position oi their upper edges with relation to said cooling device, an operating mechanism for moving said sections up and down.

11. The process of regulating the temperature in an open top compartment, having a cooling elementsin .proximity thereto, which consistin taking a portion of the air from outside the compartment and a portion of the airfrom inside the compartment and cooling such air by the cooling element and dropping it by gravity into the compartment, andvarying the relative position oi. the booling element and the upper part of the compartment, so as to vary the proportion oi' the air taken from outside the compartment and from inside the compartment to regulate the temperature in the compartment.

12; 'I'he process of regulating the temperature in an open top compartment. whichconsists--in cooling the air in the compartmentand-var'ying, the cubical contents or .said'compartmentte regulate the temperatureinjthe-compartment; 13. An air cooling.'andfirculatingdevicejconivgff prising a compartnieiitl'open'atvgthe"top. means .j for inserting-cooledfairgin said 'cpnipartment and 

